US12167324B2ActiveUtilityA1

Bootstrapping service for NRF and NSSF

56
Assignee: ERICSSON TELEFON AB L MPriority: Aug 16, 2019Filed: Aug 10, 2020Granted: Dec 10, 2024
Est. expiryAug 16, 2039(~13.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jesus-Angel De-Gregorio-RodriguezDavid Castellanos ZamoraXinyu ZhangMagnus Hallenstål
H04W 84/042H04W 48/16H04W 8/00H04L 67/51H04L 67/02H04W 48/18
56
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
22
References
28
Claims

Abstract

Systems and methods related to a bootstrapping service for a network function (NF) in a core network of a cellular communications system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a first NF in a core network of a cellular communications system comprises receiving, from a second NF, a request for services exposed by the first NF. The method further comprises, responsive to receiving the request, sending, to the second NF, information about one or more services exposed by the first NF. In one embodiment, the information about one or more services exposed by the first NF includes Application Programming Interface (API) versions of the one or more services. In this manner, flexibility is provided in the network since there is no need for static configuration of service parameters.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a first Network Function, NF, in a core network of a cellular communications system, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a second NF, a request to retrieve bootstrapping information of one or more services supported by the first NF; and 
 responsive to receiving the request, sending to the second NF, the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF; 
 wherein the first NF is a Network Repository Function, NRF, and the second NF is an NF service consumer; 
 wherein the bootstrapping service is separate from a discovery service of the NRF; 
 wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to {nrfApiRoot}/bootstrapping, where {nrfApiRoot} is a concatenation of a scheme component and an authority component of the NRF. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first NF is an NRF in a first PLMN, and the second NF is a second NRF in a second PLMN. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first NF is a home NRF, hNRF, and the second NF is a visited NRF, vNRF. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the bootstrapping information about one or more services exposed by the first NF comprises a links objects pointing to one or more services exposed by the first NF. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to https://nrf.5gc.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>0.3gppnetwork.org/bootstrapping, where “MNC” is a mobile network code of a particular UE associated with the request and “MCC” is a mobile country code of the particular UE. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the request comprises an indication of support for a Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State, HATEOAS, format. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein the HATEOAS format is the 3gppHal+json format. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6  wherein sending the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF to the second NF comprises sending the bootstrapping information in a HATEOAS document that contains a number of link relations that correspond to the one or more services exposed by the first NF and base Uniform Resource Indicators, URIs, of the one or more services, wherein the base URIs comprise Application Programming Interface, API, major versions of the one or more services. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF comprise Application Programming Interface, API, versions of the one or more services exposed by the first NF. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF further comprises one or more additional parameters. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the one or more additional parameters comprise load, status, or both load and status. 
     
     
       12. A network node that implements a first Network Function, NF, for a core network of a cellular communications system, the network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:
 receive, from a second NF, a request to retrieve bootstrapping information of one or more services supported by the first NF; and 
 responsive to receiving the request, send to the second NF, the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF; 
 wherein the first NF is a Network Repository Function, NRF, and the second NF is an NF service consumer; 
 wherein the bootstrapping service is separate from a discovery service of the NRF; 
 wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to {nrfApiRoot}/bootstrapping, where {nrfApiRoot} is a concatenation of a scheme component and an authority component of the NRF. 
 
     
     
       13. The network node of  claim 12  wherein the first NF is an NRF in a first PLMN, and the second NF is a second NRF in a second PLMN. 
     
     
       14. The network node of  claim 12  wherein the first NF is a home NRF, hNRF, and the second NF is a visited NRF, vNRF. 
     
     
       15. The network node of  claim 12  wherein the bootstrapping information about one or more services exposed by the first NF comprises a links objects pointing to one or more services exposed by the first NF. 
     
     
       16. A method performed by a second Network Function, NF, in a core network of a cellular communications system, the method comprising:
 sending, to a first NF, a request to retrieve bootstrapping information of one or more services supported by the first NF; and 
 responsive to sending the request, receiving from the first NF, the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF; 
 wherein the first NF is a Network Repository Function, NRF, and the second NF is an NF service consumer; 
 wherein the bootstrapping service is separate from a discovery service of the NRF; 
 wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to {nrfApiRoot}/bootstrapping, where {nrfApiRoot} is a concatenation of a scheme component and an authority component of the NRF. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the first NF is an NRF in a first PLMN, and the second NF is a second NRF in a second PLMN. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16  wherein the first NF is a home NRF, hNRF, and the second NF is a visited NRF, vNRF. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16  wherein the bootstrapping information about one or more services exposed by the first NF comprises a links objects pointing to one or more services exposed by the first NF. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16  wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to https://nrf.5gc.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>0.3gppnetwork.org/bootstrapping, where “MNC” is a mobile network code of a particular UE associated with the request and “MCC” is a mobile country code of the particular UE. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 16  wherein the request comprises an indication of support for a Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State, HATEOAS, format. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein the HATEOAS format is the 3gppHal+json format. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21  wherein receiving the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF comprises receiving the bootstrapping information in a HATEOAS document that contains a number of link relations that correspond to the one or more services exposed by the first NF and base Uniform Resource Indicators, URIs, of the one or more services, wherein the base URIs comprise Application Programming Interface, API, major versions of the one or more services. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 16  wherein the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF comprise Application Programming Interface, API, versions of the one or more services exposed by the first NF. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  wherein the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF further comprise one or more additional parameters. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  wherein the one or more additional parameters comprise load, status, or both load and status. 
     
     
       27. A network node that implements a second Network Function, NF, for a core network of a cellular communications system, the second NF comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:
 send, to a first NF, a request to retrieve bootstrapping information of one or more services supported by the first NF; and 
 responsive to sending the request, receive from the first NF, the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF; 
 wherein the first NF is a Network Repository Function, NRF, and the second NF is an NF service consumer; and the first NF is a home NRF, hNRF, and the second NF is a visited NRF, vNRF; 
 wherein the bootstrapping service is separate from a discovery service of the NRF; 
 wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to {nrfApiRoot}/bootstrapping, where {nrfApiRoot} is a concatenation of a scheme component and an authority component of the NRF. 
 
     
     
       28. A method performed by a first Network Function, NF, in a core network of a cellular communications system, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a second NF, a request to retrieve bootstrapping information of one or more services supported by the first NF; and 
 responsive to receiving the request, sending to the second NF, the bootstrapping information about the one or more services exposed by the first NF; 
 wherein the first NF is a Network Repository Function, NRF, and the second NF is an NF service consumer; 
 wherein the bootstrapping service is separate from a discovery service of the NRF; 
 wherein the request is a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, HTTP, GET request addressed to https://nrf.5gc.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>0.3gppnetwork.org/bootstrapping, where “MNC” is a mobile network code of a particular UE associated with the request and “MCC” is a mobile country code of the particular UE.

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